What Are Illicit Drugs?
Illicit Drugs is a term used to describe substances or drugs that are commonly very addictive, found and used on the street/black market, and are illegal. Abuse of drugs in this class can lead to severe addiction issues, resulting in financial burdens, relationship damages, and most importantly health issues that can even be fatal.
The using of illicit drugs has been shown to create a wide variety of medical issues in individuals, typically all stemming from the additive nature of this class of substances.
Users, more often than not, develop severe addictions in both the forms of chemical and physical dependencies. As individuals use more and more, they develop higher tolerances to the drugs which require using higher doses and frequencies to achieve the same effects and to avoid potentially severe withdrawal symptoms.
As their tolerance level increases, their dependence on the drug grows, ultimately leading to worsening addiction problems.
Illicit drug use can create an array of negative consequences for users and although the user themselves may see that they are being affected by them, their high level of dependency on them prevents them from being able to quit or even ween themselves off.
Common Illicit Drugs Include:
Consequences of Illicit Drug Use
There are countless ways to describe how harmful so many of the substances under the ‘Illicit Drug’ category are. The potency of some drugs found on the street, such as heroin, can be so high that it can result in addiction or even fatal outcomes even with just one use. Suppliers of these drugs commonly use cheaper substances, unknowingly to the user, resulting in a dangerous and inconsistent dosage that can lead to overdosing and other unexpected side effects.
The grip that illicit drugs can have on an individual can last beyond the time of using and seeking treatment. Statistics show that the rate of relapse has been increasing along-side of that of using, furthering the epidemic of addiction in the United States. Fatalities are growing at an exponential rate as users are finding these drugs more accessible on the black market and with the unknown ingredients and dosages being dealt out, families of those addicted are becoming much more fearful for the lives of their loved ones.
Those who suffer from the difficulties of addiction typically have a much more challenging time resolving it on their own. Inpatient treatment programs have shown to be the best and most successful path in managing withdrawal through detoxing while receiving an education on how to move forward in life without using, relying on the tools and skillset received through the program.
If you or a loved one is seeking help in managing an addiction problem, please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/ or call a treatment center in your area.
